Passengers stroll through the entryway of a TSA PreCheck in Terminal One at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Feb. 1, 2017.
Armando L. Sanchez|Chicago Tribune|Getty Images
Discovering an inexpensive flight can sometimes feel as difficult as scoring a good treat on a plane.
However travel specialists typically settle on one piece of suggestions to getting a bargain on airline tickets: Be versatile.
” It’s our No. 1 suggestions, constantly, for tourists” trying to find offers, stated James Byers, head of the item group at Google Flights.
Versatility might imply flying midweek rather of throughout the weekend, or maybe taking a trip beyond peak season for a specific location, he and other specialists stated.
” Attempt not to lock yourself into an actually particular date,” Byers stated.
Even moving travel by a day or 2 in either instructions can make a “substantial distinction,” he stated.
The most affordable days to fly
Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are typically the most affordable days to fly. Tickets are 13% more economical than those for weekend flights, according to brand-new Google Flights information.
Google analyzed typical round-trip airlines tickets from Jan. 1, 2021, through Aug. 1, 2025. It examined four-day to 16-day journeys leaving from the leading 4,000 markets in the U.S.
Midweek departures are a “easy method” to conserve $42 a ticket, or about 14%, usually, for domestic airline tickets, according to a 2025 travel hacks report by Hopper.
Sunday is frequently the most pricey day to fly, Hayley Berg, Hopper’s lead economic expert, composed in the report. It’s generally a hectic day in airports as individuals fly home from weekends away, she composed.
” Travelers thinking of a weekend trip can conserve considerably by leaving mid-week and returning on Saturday or Monday, rather of Sunday,” Berg composed.
More from Personal Financing:
How to minimize your phone costs when taking a trip abroad
Rich Americans are taking a trip to Europe to evade tariffs on high-end items
TSA PreCheck subscription still has ‘engaging advantages’
Naturally, vacations can toss a wrench into these standards.
For instance, flying on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is most likely the most pricey day to fly around that specific vacation, stated Sally French, a travel expert at NerdWallet.
As an included perk, avoiding weekend travel can likewise yield huge hotel discount rates. Monitoring in on Friday or Saturday and remaining through Sunday typically implies paying a premium going beyond 20%, or about $50 more per night, relative to the most affordable days of the week to sign in, such as Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, according to Hopper information.
Do not succumb to this travel ‘misconception’
Can’t pay for the hotel? Tourists can pay personnel to let them take pictures in the swimming pool.
Daniloandjus|E+|Getty Images
Lots of tourists succumb to the “misconception” that the day of the week on which they buy their flight has a huge monetary impact, French stated.
” It’s not real,” she stated. “It’s not the day that you book [that’s important], it’s the day that you fly.”
Tuesday has actually traditionally been the most affordable day of the week to book, however it’s just 1.3% less expensive than Sunday, the most pricey day, according to the Google Flights analysis.
” If I were offering my buddies and household suggestions on what to search for, it ‘d be lower on the list as an element,” Byers stated. “I would not state, ‘Wait till Tuesday.'”
Travel beyond peak season
These alternative travel patterns use something various than the common trip.
Alexandr Dubynin|Minute|Getty Images
Versatility on a more macro level can likewise help in reducing your airline tickets, French stated.
” Simply entering a less congested month can be practical,” she stated.
This may imply taking a trip throughout a location’s shoulder season or offseason, specialists stated.
Airline tickets typically peaks in mid-summer and drops as early fall methods, Berg composed. For instance, domestic tourists in 2024 conserved 40%, usually, or about $150, by moving from peak summertime to September or October, she composed, pointing out Hopper information.
Naturally, it might be challenging for specific tourists to be versatile.
Moms and dads might be connected to summertime journeys due to school trip schedules, while employees in specific functions, state, instructors or tax preparers, might be restricted in when they can require time off work.
In addition, trips or cruises typically feature stiff start and end dates, and it might not make monetary sense to add extra days– and additional hotel and food expenses– at the start or end of a journey, French stated.
Other airline tickets hacks
D3sign|Minute|Getty Images
There are other methods to conserve, however, specialists stated.
Layovers, while possibly difficult, are frequently a guaranteed method to conserve cash. Scheduling a travel plan with a stopover conserves tourists about 22%, usually, versus flying continuously, according to Google Flights.
Simply keep in mind to load all the important products for your journey in your carry-on luggage in case your travel suitcase does not make it onto the next plane, French stated.
Scheduling ahead, or, not waiting till the eleventh hour, frequently yields cost savings, too, specialists stated.
The most affordable costs have actually been 39 days before departure for a domestic flight and 49 days for global, according to Google Flights. The target might differ based upon location, specialists stated.